College de Agronomical and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Campus of Jaboticabal-Brazil.

A female mongrel dog was referred to the Cardiology Service of São Paulo State University, Campus of Jaboticabal, Brazil, with history of weakness, dyspnea, tachypnea, exercise intolerance, and cervical and abdominal edema. Echocardiographic evaluation revealed pericardial effusion.

Pericardialcentesis was carried out both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Cytology of this fluid showed abnormal lymphocytes, characterizing a possible cardiac base lymphoma. It was decided to submit the dog to videothoracoscopy for pericardiectomy in order to avoid regular tapping of the pericardium. For such, general anesthesia was induced with propofol (5 mg/kg), following intravenously administration of levomepromazine (0.5 mg/Kg) as a preanesthetic agent. The dog was immediately intubated and anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane (1.5 MAC).

During anesthesia, it was evaluated heart rate, systolic, mean and diastolic oscillometric blood pressure, ETCO2, SpO2, respiratory rate, end-tidal isoflurane concentration, and body temperature. The evaluated parameters varied in the beginning of the surgical procedure due to unstable clinical conditions. However, as the procedure went on, all parameters presented values within the normal range for canines.

It is possible to conclude that this protocol of general anesthesia did not result in morbidity for this dog, and seems to be a safe protocol for video pericardiectomy.